Process of making flexible articles



Dec. 15, 1925- A. B. WILDER PROCESS OF MAKING FLEXIBLE ARTICLES Filed Nov. e; 1923 Inn/en i'or: 04. 43 w y Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN B. WILDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WILDER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORIORATION' OF MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF MAKING FLEXIBLE ARTICLES.

Application filed November. 8, 1923. Serial No. 673,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN B. WVILDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of Making Flexible Articles, of which the following is a speci lication.

My invention relates to articles, such for instance as toy animals, that comprise a multiplicity of sections connected together by flexible joints; and it has for its princlpal objects to devise an economical method of making such articles and to produce a more satisfactory article. It consists principally in cutting parallel slots in a sheet of suitable material terminating short of the margins thereof, pasting a strip of flexible material extending cross-wise of said slots, and then cutting out of said sheet an article of the desired form. It also consists in the steps and operations hereinafter described and claimed. It also consists in the article hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying. drawing which forms part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a blank of sheet material having printed thereon two counterpart representations of an. animal or the like, the outlines of said representations being symmetrical about the longitudinal medial line of said blank;

Fig. 2 represents said blank with a score along the medial line thereof and with two series of slots transverse to said medial line and extending through said representations but terminating short of the medial line and of the margins;

Fig. 3 is aview of the back of said blank with a strip of flexible material applied to one side thereof;

Fig. 4 is across-section illustrating the blank folded along the longitudinal score and prior to the die-cutting thereof;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section subsequent to the die-cutting of the folded blank;

Fig. 6 is a view of the die-cut article mounted on wheels;

Fig. 7 is a view of the axle and wheels;

Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating the holding clip; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view illustrating the manner ofmounting the device on the axle.

In the manufacture of toy animals and the like, it is preferable to start with a sheet 1 of cardboard of suitable size, this cardboard being preferably notched along one margin forcooperating with the mechanical devices that insure proper register of said sheet in the various operations. On this cardboard sheet 1 are printed two pictures 2 of an animal or, the like, which pictures have the same outline and are symmetrically disposed about the longitudinalmedial line 3 or axis of the sheet. The notching may be done at the same time that the pictures are printed on the card. The sheetthus printed is then scored along said longitudinal axis or line; and has a number of slots l cut in the body portion thereof, said slots extending through the pictorial figures 2 but terminating short of said medial line 3 and of the margins of the sheet. The slots on one side ofthe medial line are disposed symmetrically with respect to the slots on the other side. Preferably the scoring and slotting of the sheet are done by the same op eration with a stamping die.

The next operation is to paste a flexible strip 5 on the back of one of the figures,

said flexible strip being preferably a strong cloth that; extends longitudinally beyond the endmost slots. The sheet is then folded along the scored medial line 3 and the two halves of thesheet are glued or pasted together back to back, said halves being still integral with each other. along the score line. The next operation is to cut the sheet along the outline ofthe figure 2, which may be done by any convenient method. Prcferfably, this operation is effected by die-cutting the sheet in a die in the form of the outline of said figure. As thetwo figures 2 are counterparts of each other and symmetrically disposed about the score line their outlines register. Likewise, as the transverse slots 4 are arranged symmetrically on both sides of said score line, they also register in the folded position of the sheet; and if said score lines extend entirely across said figures, the die-cut that follows the outline of said figures severs the cardboard into a multiplicity of cardboard sections or segments 6 which, however, are firmly connected by the flexible strip 5 between them.

The figure thus made is mounted on suitable support such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 7, Each support comprises an .aXlB 7 with wheels 8 mounted thereon. The axle is shown in the form of a. piece of wood with a transverse groove or slot 9 cut in the top thereof slightly wider than the article to be mounted thereon. Mounted on top of the axle, as by a tack or nail 10 extending through a hole provided therefor is a clip 11 in the form of a flat piece of sheet metal whose end portion is bent obliquely clownwardly and has a number of teeth 12 provided in the endmost portion thereof. The bend of this clip 11 is substantially flush with one side of the groove 9, and, before the article is placed in said groove, the end of said clip lies against or close to the side of said groove furthest from the body of the clip. By this arrangement, the article may be forced edge-wise down against the bottom of said groove, the resiliency of the clip permitting it to yield sufliciently for this purpose; while adapting the clip to yield sufliciently to permit such downward movement, the teeth thereof bite into the side of the article and prevent the withdrawal thereof. Preferably the article is provided with notches that fit over the axles and thus prevent endwise movement of the article.

Obviously, the process admits of considerable variation in the details and is applicable to the manufacture of other articles than toy animals.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The improvementin the process of making flexible articles, which consists in cutting parallel slots in a sheet, said slots terminating short of the margins of said sheet, securing a strip of flexible material to said sheet crosswise of said slots and cutting out of the slotted portion of said sheet an article of the desired form and whose outline crosses such slots.

2. The process of making flexible articles which comprises marking the outline of the article on a sheet of suitable material, cutting slots in said sheet that extend through the outline of the article but stop short of.

themargin of the sheet, pasting a strip of flexible material to said sheet extending crosswise of said slots and cutting the article from the sheet along a line that follows such outline and crosses said slots.

3. The improvement in the process of "flaking flexible articles, which consists in cutting parallel slots in a sheet, said slots being symmetrically arranged along the medial line of the sheet and terminating short of the margins of said sheet and of said medial line, securing a strip of flexible material over one set of said slots, folding the sheet along the medial line, securing the parts together with said strip therebetween, and cutting out of the slotted portion of said sheet an article of the desired form.

4. The process of making flexible articles which comprises marking counterpart outlines of the article on either side of the medial line of a sheet of suitable material, cutting parallel slots syi'i'imetrically arranged on both sides of said medial line, said slots extending through the outlines of the articles but stopping short of the margins and medial line of the sheet, pasting a strip of flexible material on the sheet crosswise of one set of slots, folding said sheet along the medial line, securing the two parts together with an adhesive and cutting out the article along the outline.

5. The process of making flexible articles which comprises marking counterpart out lines of the article on either side of the medial line of a sheet of suitable material, scoring said sheet along the medial line, cutting parallel slots symmetrically arranged on both sides of said medial line, said slots extending through the outlines of the article but stopping short of the margins and medial line f the sheet, pasting a strip of flexible material on the sheet crosswise of one set of slots, folding said sheet along the score line, pasting the two parts together and cut ting out the article.

6. The improvement in the process of making flexible articles which comprises scoring a sheet along the medial line thereof, cutting parallel slots therein, said slots terminating short of the margins of said sheet and of said medial line and being symmetrically disposed along said medial line, pasting a strip of flexible material crosswise of one set of slots, folding said sheet along the score line, pasting the two parts of the sheet together and cutting out an article of the desired form.

Signed at St. Louis, lilissourhthis 5th day of November, 1923.

ALLEN B. ILDER. 

